TMJ

Daniel saw the TMJ specialist yesterday. It's confirmed; my nine-year-old has TMJ. And from the wearing away of the jaw joints, he also has arthritis in his jaw. Isn't that nice?

The doctor worked Daniel's jaw a little yesterday, to improve mobility, but we have to go back next week to have his bottom molars "built up" so that the jaw and bite will be aligned right.

Here are some images from the CAT scan they did in the office. Here is his head. He looks weird without a nose. He looks like he's wearing a helmet. And look at that mouth full of teeth! They are all crowded in there, fighting for their own spaces. So pretty. I thought this image was perfect for the upcoming Halloween season!
















These pictures show the jaw joints (both sides). The doctor drew on them to show me that the joints should be round, where Daniel's are flattened. And the bone is looking a little thin. It should be thicker.


















Daniel will need braces and it looks like we're going to be visiting with an orthodontist as soon as this round of treatment is over and we're sure it's working. The doctor only had one orthodontist he recommended as he feels the other ones in the area only mess up the TMJ patients. I wonder if they are relatives?!

When the assistant showed me what the charges for all of this would be, I nearly stopped breathing. We haven't even started on Sarah's and my medical bills yet. This is like getting another 1/2 of a baby! We were planning on our first trip to Disneyland a year from now. We may have to wait another year.

Life doesn't get boring for too long!